Top 10 Outstanding Herbs to Cultivate Indoors or Outdoors
Growing your own herbs can be a game-changer, especially when you're dealing with only a few sprigs at a time. Instead of buying them weekly, consider planting some popular herbs like mint, oregano, basil, and thyme in your garden or containers.
Thyme, for example, is a low-growing ground cover plant with evergreen foliage, making it perfect for year-round cooking. Known for being easy to root, thyme can even be propagated from cuttings or an established plant. With various flavors available, you can choose the one that suits your culinary needs best.
Next up is dill, which is great for pickling, soups, and other dishes. Its flowers can also be eaten, so the entire plant becomes useful if you grow it. The plant can grow in containers or directly in the ground due to its height, and it self-seeds, ensuring an abundant supply for you.
Basil, known for its versatility in sauces, pesto, and garnishes, is another worthy addition to your garden. Basil is typically used for its foliage but can bloom if you want to encourage bushiness. It's also a great companion plant for tomatoes to help deter pests.
Mint, notable for its high yield, is great for various recipes, beverages, and baking. It's best to plant mint in containers to prevent it from taking over your garden.
Chives are a perennial plant, meaning they'll provide fresh herbs to you year after year. They have green, spear-like foliage andlavender-colored flowers in spring and summer, making them pungent and resistant to deer and rabbits.
Rosemary is an evergreen, hardy plant that provides a fragrant foliage that can be harvested throughout the year. It's also resistant to deer and rabbits, and can be propagated by stem cuttings or layering.
Lemon balm is known for its lemon flavor and is great for cooking, baking, or beverages. Its small white flowers support beneficial insects and pollinators, such as honeybees. The plant can be harvested several times during the growing season and can easily be divided to make more plants.
Lovage has an edible root, making it a zero-waste plant. It can replace celery in the kitchen and provides vertical interest in your garden, as well as supporting beneficial insects and pollinators.
Oregano is always a workhorse in the garden and kitchen, providing fragrant foliage, flowers that support beneficial insects, and is drought-tolerant and resistant to deer and rabbits.
And, finally, there's sage, known for its gray-green leaves and purple flowers in summer. It becomes a small shrub that stays above ground in the winter and can be used in cooking and as an ornamental shrub.
By growing these high-yield herbs, you can save money and ensure a constant supply of fresh herbs for your kitchen. Not to mention, it can make your yard and indoor spaces more beautiful with their various appearances. Happy planting!
- For container garden ideas, consider planting mint, as it's best to contain this high-yield herb to prevent it from overtaking your garden.
- If you're looking for Vegetable Garden Ideas, you might want to consider growing basil, which is not only delicious but also a great companion plant for tomatoes.
- Martha Stewart often shares container Garden Ideas and Houseplant tips, so you might find some inspiration from her e2e602d74825bee0ac82860ce7186f26 website.
- Instead of buying herbs from the supermarket daily, consider growing some of your favorite varieties in pots or your garden, like dill or rosemary, which can be propagated from cuttings.
- To make the most of your herb garden, you can use sprigs in your cooking immediately or dry them for later use, ensuring you always have fresh herbs on hand.
